Fulling canal



March 14, 193 9. FRUSHER JR 2,150,679

FULLING CANAL Filed Dec. 50, 195'? ZISheets-Sheet 1 Patented Mar. 14, 1939 FULLIN G CANAL Tom Frusher, Jr., Groton, Oonn., assignor to Rodney Hunt Machine Company, Orange, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 30, 1937, Serial No. 182,560

. 4 Claims.

This case contains matter divided out of my prior application for a patent on a fulling canal, filed December 9, 1935, Serial No. 53,459, and additional matter.

This invention relates to a fulling canal particularly for use in rotary fulling mills.

The principal objects of the invention are in general to provide a canal for such a fulling machine having most of the results of said original application, to provide a delivery for the canal, preferably turned to a vertical position; to provide the delivery outlet with a movable outer part which may be moved by external means either to widen the mouth of the channel or reduce it, and to provide a horizontal outlet operating to deliver a vertical stream of goods.

Other objects and advantages if the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is' a longitudinal section of the rotaryfulling mill showing a preferred embodiment of this invention employed therein;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the divisional part of the case;

Fig. 3 is a side view of a modified form of fulling canal capable of accomplishing most of the objects of this invention, and

Fig. 4 is a plan of the same, showing the new construction.

This invention relates to the fulling or felting of woolen or mixed goods in rotary fulling mills. It has always been difficult to full evenly and quickly such goods, used in the manufacture of clothing, upholstery, or other fabrics, which have to be felted to complete their manufacture. The ordinary felting or packing box does not retain the goods long enough each time they have passed through the friction or heating rolls. This has left them in a moist and heated condition at the time felting starts. The cause for the goods not being retained long enough is that the conventional type of felting or packing box hasto be fitted with a movable tongue or pressure control device to exert pressure. This tongue forces the goods into a small space near the rolls, increasing the pressure in proportion to the force with which they have to be introduced into the packing box. When this pressure is more than the weight which holds the tongue against the goods, the tongue being pivoted, lifts and allows a large amount of goods to be discharged from the packing box. This resultsin the forcing of a further amount into the packing box. When pressure is again built up, the goods are discharged unevenly and in many cases they are unevenly fulled and must pass through the friction rolls and packing box an additional number of times in order to be properly fulled.

This invention relates particularly to the fulling or felting canal which I make of such shape and length as to tend to grip and maintain an even pressure on the goods all along the length of the canal and I provide a long canal. This allows the goods or cloth to be retained much longer in their heated and moist felting condition and under uniform pressure.

The goods, being evenly folded, are subjected to an even pressure on the individual fibre which allows more even felting of the fibres and a quicker felting with less wear and tear on the goods. The goods retain an even heat and this is added to cause the fulling canal to keep the heat from being dispersed and to keep the goods at a normal heat all the time.

The invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as applied to an ordinary rotary fulling mill which comprises a tank I 0 in which the parts are located. The usual friction rolls II are employed and the cloth or goods are guided between them over a front roll l2 and through a guide l3. The fulling canal M is formed of uniform, preferably rectangular, cross section from the friction rolls for a considerable distance and this is not variable in any way.

In order to provide the necessary resistance for the purpose of fulling, this canal is provided, on the upper side at 25, with a pivoted gate 26 which performs the double function of changing the shape of the canal from flat to curved and also acting as a gate to controlthe opening at the lower end. This gate is operated by a lever 21 with a weight 28 which is pivoted at 29 and in this case the friction and heat are controlled non-positively by the weight instead of positively by the screw-operated control gates. Also this form provides many of the advantages of the above noted original application.

In the new form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 many of these advantages are still secured. The canal 24 is much like the canal l4 and works in a similar way. The discharge end of the canal 24 is open and also it is open at I'G at the bottom of this end. The bottom ll of this canal is flat except for aslight curve I8 at the open end.

At the top, on horizontal transverse pivot I9, is pivoted a curved gate 20 or clapper. This is hung to freely swing and complete the discharge chute with the curve I8. The goods, being pushed 5 along the channel, engage this clapper and force it out. In order to apply pressure to keep the goods within their bounds and especially to squeeze moisture out, a rod 2| is pivoted to the clapper. Some ordinary means is employed to push down on this rod and apply as much pressure as may be needed.

' The clapper in this case is shown as contained entirely within the two plane and parallel side walls, of the channel 24, and its limit of inward motion is the curve I 8.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

l. The combination with a rotary fulling mill and its friction rolls, of a fulling canal of uniform and constant rectilinear shape from the friction rolls to a point at a distance near the other end thereof, the discharge end of said canal comprising the bottom of the canal, and a curved cover section on the upper and outer part of the canal movably connected with and supported by the canal to complete the end, forming a vertical downward discharge, and providing for adjusting the outlet and having means for normally holding it in a contractedposition.

2. The combination with a rotary fulling mill and its friction rolls, of a straight fulling canal of uniform and constant shape from the friction rolls to a point near the discharge end thereof, said discharge end of said canal comprising a curved section on the upper and outer part of the canal pivotally connected with the lower part of the canal to complete the end and discharge downward.

3. The combination with a rotary fulling mill and its friction rolls, of a canal straight having its entrance at the friction rolls, said canal having a constant cross section substantially from end to end to' exert the same pressure on the goods in all parts of the canal, and having a pivoted gate or clapper directly at its outlet end, to

which pressure may be applied to impart pressure at this point to the goods.

4., The combination with a rotary fulling mill and its friction rolls, of a canal having its entrance at the friction rolls, said canal having a constant cross section substantially from end to end to exert the same pressure on the goods in all parts of the canal, and having a gate or clapper extending across the canal at the discharge end, pivoted at the top,'and free to swing, and means by which pressure may be applied to the clapper inwardly to increase the pressure on the goods at the discharge end.

TOM FRUSHER, JR. 

